5 Simple Changes for a Healthy Mom and Family

Looking for simple changes for a healthier lifestyle? A healthy mom makes for a healthy family, and these easy 5 changes can make a big impact in your life.

It’s hard, I know.

We don’t have the time to cook, much less every night. I can barely squeeze in one workout every week, much less the recommended three or more. And packaged snacks are so convenient, especially when I’m tossing a school lunch together on a hectic morning. For us busy moms, it can be hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Here’s the thing though: Our health—and our family’s—is one of those things where our current bad habits just won’t cut it. It’s not one of those things we can ignore and, by luck, somehow end up alright. Our bodies have a way of letting us know when enough is enough.

I try my best to be a healthy mom. The biggest reason? My family.

I’m realizing not only how crazy short our lives are, but how it’s the only one we’ll ever have. We can’t switch places or move to another body, so we have to take care of it.

I want to live a long and healthy life to see my kids and maybe even grandkids well into the future.

I want a good quality of life. Not one tied to prescriptions or pain.

I want to model a healthy lifestyle for my kids. I’d love for my three boys to avoid chronic illness, disease or an unhealthy lifestyle as much as possible.

Regardless of where you are with your health, you probably have similar goals. Think about the memories you’ve created with your family. How much more precious they are when your heart and mind are in a healthy place. Families are often the motivation for being a healthy mom.

The best part? As a mom, you have so much potential to make real change, not just for yourself, but also for your family. In changing your own lifestyle, you’re also encouraging your family to follow suit.

Here are a few simple changes you can make that make a lasting impact.

5 simple changes for a healthy mom (and a healthy family):

#1: Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Simple changes like eating fruits and vegetables can make a huge difference. When picking recipes, make it a goal to have at least one (or more!) vegetable in the ingredient list.

A few easy-to-eat snacks for kids include carrots, bananas, oranges, and baked sweet potatoes. Offer a fruit or vegetable with every meal. And talk about them like they’re treats instead of a drag they have to eat.

#2: Lessen salt.

It’s crazy how much salt is in our food if we’re not careful. Watch your salt portions when you cook. Aim for less than what’s called for (you can always add more). Buy less pre-packaged food and snacks, since those tend to be higher in sodium. And cook as much as you can from scratch using herbs to season food, instead of salty seasoning sauces.

#3: Lessen sweetened drinks.

One of the biggest culprits with weight gain in children is the amount of juice they drink. Limit sweetened drinks including juice, soda, punch and lemonade. These aren’t drinks you or your kids should drink everyday. Instead, they’re once-in-a-while treats.

Rely more on water to stay hydrated. Water is a much better alternative to the sweetened drinks we often have. Consider adding cut strawberries, cucumbers and limes to your water for flavor.

#4: Exercise more.

Exercising 30 minutes a few times a week can be a challenge. I’ve found that it’s possible to sneak this in throughout the day with a brisk walk during lunch, or a game of chase at the park with the kids.

Our pediatrician told us that children shouldn’t be sedentary for more than an hour. For instance, hours parked in front of the television isn’t good for kids. Instead, break up activities so they’re not sitting in the same place for longer than an hour.

#5: Check your blood pressure.

Checking your blood pressure lets you know how your health and heart are doing. You can go to most pharmacies to get a free reading. Better yet, schedule annual check ups with your doctor.

A healthy mom knows that every little bit helps. No excuse is large enough to put your health aside. Even with the little time we moms have, we can still try to have a healthy lifestyle. Make time for exercise by playing chase with the kids. Replace juice with water. Throw together a quick meal that’s one step closer to homemade.

Think about your ‘why’ and how you imagine your family in the future. Neglecting your health can leave a negative impact and teach your kids unhealthy habits.

I know it’s hard work—trust me, I’m no fitness guru. But change is often hard. Successful results don’t usually happen with little to no work. Goals don’t always come easily.

But the little actions you do now will give you—and your kids—a higher quality of life. Pick one small action from the list above and build it into a habit. Keep doing it for several weeks until you no longer have to think about it. Then pick the next small action.

The best part? The American Heart Association’s Life Is Why campaign provides many resources to help you reach your goals. AHA wants you to be a healthy mom with a healthy heart and mind. Their resources include healthy recipes and tips for better heart and brain health.

The American Heart Association also has advocacy initiatives to improve the health in communities. And they fund research and science to help people live healthier, longer lives.

I’d love for you to check out these resources in particular:

Life Is Why website where you’ll find links to the resources I mention above such as recipes and tips.

Check out the above resources and take that first step towards a healthier lifestyle. Think about your ‘why’ and the reasons you have for being a healthy mom.

Tell me in the comments: What is your ‘why’ for living a healthy life? What changes do you need to make in your life to improve your health and your family’s?

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Comments

I had a big awakening at the beginning of this year, because I felt like I didn’t feel.. great. And I knew I could. My father died at age 36, and I’m close to that, so I really wanted to change everything about my lifestyle. He had heart disease and I don’t seem to have it, but I have been exercising regularly and eating so many more vegetables this year.
It makes a big difference!

That’s so scary Tamara. I can’t imagine going through that and having your father or husband pass away at 36 (that’s how old I am!). I’ve been eating mostly vegetarian meals these days just to force myself to up my veggies!

I’m a big believer in small, simple changes to help live a healthier lifestyle. It’s definitely more difficult to find time to work out these days, but all of the tips you mentioned are key to being healthy. If I could add one, it would be to drink LOTS of water, and regularly.

While we agree water is key to hydration and staying in balance, other types of beverages can also be enjoyed in moderation. Today there are an unprecedented array of options in the marketplace, including low- and no-calorie beverages and smaller portion sizes. That said, our industry is proactively engaging in meaningful efforts such as the Balance Calories Initiative, which aims to cut beverage calorie intake in the U.S. by 20 percent by 2025. We’re doing our part to encourage people to strike a better balance between what they eat, drink and do. We contend that real health behavior change will continue to come from education and collaboration that advocates a sensible diet and active life.

Family is definitely a big motivator for me. I want to be able to be active with my kids and any grandkids that may come along. We drink almost exclusively water and I walk with a friend four times a week, but I’ve been terrible about eating fruits and veggies lately. It always helps if I cut a bunch up and leave them out so I can snack on them during the day. I need to get back to that…

Great tips Nina! I really have to make a few adjustments in the way I eat. Definitely drinking more water, exercising because I don’t at all, eating more fruits and less artificial flavored drinks, you know. My family is my motivation and like you, I also want to enjoy my grandkids in the future. My blood pressure is something that I constantly check because I suffered from eclampsia and hellp syndrome after the birth of my twins and was on 4 different kinds of blood pressure medication! Thank God I’m not on any right now, but I need to take care of the way I eat in order to prevent my blood pressure from spiking up in the future.

Oh wow Ros that’s crazy you had eclampsia with your twins! I was border pre-eclampsia and it was scary as hell. So glad you’re feeling better and don’t need meds anymore. I think that’s fantastic you’re turning to a healthy diet to manage your blood pressure.

When I had my daughter I lost track of looking after myself and ended up getting very sick with anemia and an inflammation disease and getting out of bed to spend time with my girl was so difficult. Took me a long time to learn to take time for myself but it has been without a doubt a very valuable lesson. Great post.

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